Featured Music:

"Rose"

"The Sinking"

"The Death of Titanic" all from Titanic movie

"Sirens" from Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas

Hope you guys are enjoying this story. Please be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews.

________________________________

Mace and Strawberry walked through a field of sunflowers that led to a vegetable garden, where they picked a few vegetables for themselves as food for what would no doubt be a long journey. According to the map they were given that led to Princess Brenda's castle, they had to take a boat through Kamino Bay, pass through Tipoca Gulf, pass Rock n' Sink Rock, and then they would arrive at a remote island where they would find the castle where the princess resided. But, they'd been warned they would face many monsters along the way.

It was a rare occasion when a squire who'd accompanied one of the many knights who'd attempted to free Princess Brenda returned. More so, there were bottled messages found by the shore, warning sailors of the beasts that lurked around there. Many of them said a dragon lived at the castle. Others said it was an enormous shark, some even claimed to have seen a hydra. Because of the mixed messages, people began to think maybe they were making things up or these monsters were just to scare off other knights so only some would have to go in prepared to fight a dragon, as they were the most famous for guarding trapped princesses.

"If dragons are the worst thing we have to face, we'll be fine." Mace said.

"I still can't believe you're making a deal with that man," said Strawberry, munching on a carrot. "Palpatine is basically a loan shark, and that's the least terrifying of his crimes, so I hear."

"I don't see any other way. Besides, all I gotta do is save a princess, right?"

"And then what? Did you ever stop to think how you're basically trading her like she's property or something? I've been a victim of that, and it's no good."

"You know, maybe there's a reason horses shouldn't speak."

Strawberry snorted.

"You're a big strong minotaur. Why didn't you just take advantage of his ignorance? Use that strength of yours to really bake him?"

"Oh yeah," said Mace, starting to joke. "Maybe I could've also devoured every woman in the village. Gotten them food to fatten them up and baked them into many pies. Does that sound good to you?"

"No, it sounds like you're a Hansel and Gretel witch wannabe."

Mace rolled his eyes and told Strawberry, "For your information, there's a lot more to minotaurs than people think."

"Example?"

"Example? Okay.... Um.... minotaurs are like onions."

Mace held up an onion he'd bitten into, and Strawberry snorted in disgust as she caught a whiff of the onion's stench.

"They stink?"

"Yes- No!" Mace answered.

"Oh, they make you cry?"

"No!"

"Oh, is it that they have a tough exterior?"

"No! Actually, yes on that last one, but it's not what I meant." Mace peeled the onion some more and showed Strawberry what he was talking about. "It's layers. Onions have layers. Minotaurs have layers. You get it, we both have layers."

"I do get it now. But you know, onions aren't the only ones with layers." Strawberry said. "Cakes have layers too, and a thing about them, you can cover them in any amount of frosting and strawberries cut into flowers, but if it's burnt or undercooked inside, you'll find out soon enough."

"What do cakes have to do with anything?"

"Onions and cakes have more in common than you think. Like you say about minotaurs, there's a lot more to pegasus ponies than you or anyone else might think too." Strawberry said. "We're fun to ride and often marketed as strong but gentle creatures, but I've met a few of my kind who were vicious enough to pass as incarnates of dragons you think of. There are even people afraid of horses. In other words, you don't have to look scary for people to be scared of you."

Mace sighed. Strawberry was sweet, but she was very talkative too, and somehow she always had some words to debate pretty much anything the minotaur said.

"Let's just get to the port and find that princess."

And so, the two heroes-to-be headed on their way and eventually got to a port where an enormous ship was waiting for them to take them on their quest. A beautiful ship called the Resolute with Palpatine's symbol on the sails, and it was cared for by a crew led by Captain Rampart.

"Welcome aboard, Minotaur." said Captain Rampart. "Do not get your hopes up about surviving, though. No men who've gone on this quest before have ever returned."

"Then why are you here?" Strawberry said.

"If the minotaur fails, certainly I can save the princess."

"Don't be so sure. Mace is tougher than you think."

Mace sighed and said, "Let's just get this over with."

________________________________

(cue: "Rose")

A beautiful sunset was in sight as the ship Resolute set sail across the ocean, the wind filling the sails as the crew headed in the designated direction to escort the minotaur and his pink steed to the island to rescue Princess Brenda from the castle and whatever monster guarded her dreadful prison.

Strawberry let her mane down from its braid and stood at the bow of the ship, letting the wind blow through her hair.

"I'm queen of the world!" Strawberry cheered, standing on her hind legs and spreading her wings.

While Strawberry was enjoying herself, Mace was looking at the map and navigating by the setting sun's position to ensure they were going the right way.

"According to this, we should be heading approximately forty degrees north of this position to take a safer route."

"We know what we're doing, Monster." Rampart said. "This way we are taking is the fastest route to the princess."

"While quick it may be, I'm seeing a warning here that the route we're going is infamous for being a common spot for sinking ships."

"And I am warning you, Monster, that you will be thrown overboard if you don't stop telling me how to do my job!"

Mace snorted. It was bad enough that all the sailors were frightened or drew their weapons whenever Mace got near them, but he really didn't appreciate being called a monster.

The sailing through Kamino Bay went fairly smoothly. The next step on the map was to get through Tipoca Gulf, pass Rock n' Sink Rock, and get to Fade Away Island.

Except, when they got to Tipoca Gulf...

The waters seemed awfully quiet.... Too quiet. The sky also became dark with many stormy clouds, which made Strawberry's ears shoot up, like she could sense something, something bad coming. Whatever it was, she sensed it was big and dangerous, and it wasn't the storm or the ocean waves. Strawberry immediately whinnied to get everyone's attention.

"There's something dangerous coming, everyone!" Strawberry called. "We gotta get into defense positions now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Rampart. "It's just a little storm. It'll pass."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Just then, the ocean started to bubble in one spot, which nobody appeared to take notice of, and then all of a sudden, the boat jerked to a stop as if something had pulled it from behind, making everyone fall down!

"What the heck was that?" Mace asked.

At that moment, a tentacle grabbed one man right off the boat, leaving nothing but his hat as he screamed, receiving no aid.

"Victor, check the ship's stern and prepare all defenses." Rampart ordered, but received no reply. "Victor?"

Everyone looked around, but didn't see Victor anywhere.

"The minotaur must've eaten him!" one man said.

"I didn't!" Mace said. "I keep telling all of you, I don't eat people! The only meat I eat is fish."

Just then, another man screamed and disappeared.

"What was that?" said Rampart.

Strawberry caught a whiff of the air. It smelled like.... Squid? Her eyes went wide then.

"We're not alone out here."

Just then, the boat jumped up and rocked back and forth as it landed in the water with a big splash!

(cue: "The Sinking")

A huge storm began to break out. Thunder boomed, lightning struck, and heavy rain began to pour, down, down, down, the wind getting so strong it became very difficult to keep the boat steady!

Suddenly, a bunch of enormous snake-like tentacles popped out from the water and started to wrap themselves around the boat.

"It's a kraken! Watch out!" Strawberry screamed.

All the men screamed and started to get any weapons they could grab, all while trying to shoot and avoid the tentacles of the kraken, for if they got grabbed.....

Another sailor screamed as he was grabbed, then pulled overboard and into the water as the kraken lifted nearly its entire body out from the water! And he devoured his latest victim in one bite. All the other humans basically looked like tasty gumdrops to him. It probably didn't help that Strawberry naturally smelled of candy too.

"What do we do?!" screamed one sailor.

"This must be why so many knights died trying to save the princess!" Mace shouted over the loud wind.

The wind made it difficult for Strawberry to fly too, and the kraken kept one of its enormous tentacles wrapped around the main mast of the ship! No matter how Rampart turned the wheel or the others tried paddling, the kraken just wouldn't let go! To make matters worse, each time the sailors attempted to shoot or strike the monster on its tentacles, it squirted disgusting ink that made the deck very sticky, the splashing ocean waves making the deck slippery, and overall making it difficult to avoid getting captured.

"Look out!" Strawberry exclaimed, grabbing another sailor with her teeth before the kraken could grab him too.

The crew had to get rid of this kraken somehow so they could escape. But, the crew didn't know a lot about krakens aside from the fact that they were known to be very destructive and dangerous creatures of the sea feared by sailors and land dwellers alike.

The Kraken started to grab more of the men, and soon even Rampart was beginning to think that it was not possible to survive out here.

"Everyone get below deck!" Rampart shouted.

Just as the kraken was about to grab another sailor, Mace charged at the tentacle like a bull in a matador tournament, and jabbed the kraken's tentacle with his sharp horns, thus giving the sailor time to run and get to safety.

"Get below now!" Mace shouted before getting splashed by a wave.

Everyone quickly got below, Mace quickly shutting the door and placing a metal rod between the handles so the kraken couldn't reach them. The door was too thick for the kraken to push his tentacles through, which meant no more snatched sailors, at least for now. Unfortunately, even with everyone on the outer deck down below with the escape ships, the kraken just wrapped more of his tentacles around the boat and started to squeeze the vessel, eventually to the point where cracks began to form in the walls and water began gushing in!

Everyone was terrified.

Strawberry and some of the sailors tried to plug the leaks using anything they could find on board, but it didn't do much good.

"What do we do now?!" said one of the sailors.

"Even if we take an escape boat, the kraken can just follow us." Mace said. "We need a plan."

"If we only had a way to make the kraken stay in one place long enough to escape." Strawberry said, getting her wet mane off from her eyes. "I don't suppose your ship has a giant net on board, does it?"

"Well, pardon me for not ordering a kraken sized net before we left." Rampart said sarcastically.

"Is now really the time for sarcasm?!"

Just for that, Strawberry got close to Rampart and shook herself dry, getting him more soaked than he already was.

"Hey!"

"Oh, lighten up. Now you'll smell like strawberry water."

"There has to be another way." Mace said. He started to think.

How could the crew incapacitate the kraken without a giant net? Their arrows and blasters barely scratched the beast, its suction-cup-like tentacles held a strong grip to anything it grabbed, and it squirted icky, sticky ink if angered.

Strawberry dried off her mane with the one dry towel she could find and started to braid it again so it wouldn't get in her face again as this rough journey continued.

"Much better." sighed the pegasus.

This gave Mace an idea.

"I have an idea, but I need everyone to trust me."

________________________________

(cue: "Death of Titanic)

Outside the ship, the kraken continued to squeeze his tentacles around the ship, when Strawberry flew up.

"Hey, Kraken!" a female voice shouted. And that turned out to be Strawberry Sundae, who taunted the giant squid by shaking her tail at him and blowing raspberries. "Bet you can't grab me."

The Kraken took the bait and tried to grab Strawberry, but she was a very fast flier, even with the wind blowing her around, and she wasn't alone. Mace and two other sailors began taunting the kraken by throwing things at it to make him use more of his tentacles, and they moved all about the ship, running amok until they managed to get three tentacles together, and got the kraken to twist them in a pattern... a braid. The kraken found it very difficult to move its tentacles when they were braided, and was about to try and untangle himself, but the crew jumped in with their own tricks. Using some strong rope and a few sailor's knots, they tied the first three tentacles to the mast of the ship, making it harder for the kraken to move.

"Good job!" Mace shouted. "Just a few more to go!"

Mace, Strawberry, and the sailors continued to taunt the kraken and get him to tangle up his tentacles so they could trap him by tying him to the ship, while Rampart and the others got to the escape ship.

Before they knew it, the kraken's last tentacle was trapped, wrapped around the bow of the ship, and every survivor quickly abandoned ship to a smaller vessel with the others, and Rampart quickly steered them in the direction of gentler waters, away from the kraken.

Although the sailors were victorious, that was only the first round, the first wave of monsters. They lost many men on this first wave. It made Mace begin to worry a little. If a giant, carnivorous squid was just the first monster to face, he couldn't begin to imagine the danger of the second monster he would have to face.

"Rock n' Sink Rock." Mace read on the map. "Why is it called Rock n' Sink Rock?"

"I've heard sailors talk about it in my family's old bakery. No one knows for sure how it got the name, but legends say it's because it's home to one of the most dangerous Magics there is. Sirens. They're beautiful creatures resembling mermaids, but they're also very dangerous. Their song has the power to put men in a trance-like state, making them crash their ships to a watery grave."

"Then I'd better advise Rampart and the others to cover their ears."

The sailors were once again sailing smoothly, only this time they were many men short, which made smooth sailing a little more of a challenge. Fewer mouths to feed also meant fewer people to raise and lower the sails, watch the bow and stern, swab the deck, and navigate the ship.

"See anything ahead, Arken?" Rampart called.

"Nothing to report yet, Captain." said Arken.

It being smooth sailing, Strawberry took the opportunity to lay down and take a little nap, when she drifted off into a dream that had her breathing heavily and talking in her sleep.

________________________________

In her dream, Strawberry could see flames, huge flames, and rubble falling from different places.

"Get them all!" shouted a voice.

And in the flaming building was a little pink pegasus filly who, naturally, was terrified, and she desperately tried to get out of the building, while also avoiding arrows, axes, and blaster fire that were thrown at her.

"Someone, help! Please! Anyone!" The filly shouted, whinnying as loudly as she could. But no one could hear her.

And then the filly saw something horrifying to her eyes.

"NO!"

________________________________

Strawberry woke up with a loud, frightened whinny that startled a few sailors. The pegasus breathed heavily as she tried to settle down from the awful dream she had.

"Are you alright, Strawberry?" Mace asked.

"There was fire... everywhere." Strawberry breathed.

"It was just a dream. There's no fire here. You're probably just worried about facing the dragon."

Strawberry's ears drooped at that theory.

"If it were only that simple."

But before, Mace could ask what she meant by that, Strawberry shushed him as her ears shot back up.

"What is-"

"Shh! I hear something."

(cue: Sirens)

It sounded like.... Singing. Pretty singing. Uh oh!

Suddenly, Strawberry and Mace very nearly fell down as the ship suddenly turned to the left, throwing them off balance for a moment. They both looked at Rampart to see his eyes had suddenly turned a green ocean blue like he was in a trance, and all the crew members' eyes changed that color too.

Strawberry looked out from the bow to see that the ship was headed in the direction of a big, tall rock where on it sat three Twi'lek women with mermaid-like tails sat, singing their songs and calling the sailors over through their songs.

"Oh no! Sirens!" Strawberry exclaimed.

Mace covered his ears quickly, but looked at Strawberry.

"Why isn't it affecting you?" Mace asked.

"All those sirens are females. Their seductive song only works on men." Strawberry said.

"You need to do something before they...." Mace winced as the song was starting to get to him. "Crash our ship!"

And then Mace was under the spell too!

"Oh no!"

Strawberry didn't know what to do! Being the only girl on board also meant she was their only hope of surviving this endeavor. But how was she going to save everyone? She tried to first idea that came to her head and swooped at Rampart so she could turn the wheel and steer the boat away from the rock, but Rampart just jumped back in and had the sailors hold Strawberry down so he could steer back towards the sirens.

"Let me go! You're all in danger!" Strawberry wiggled and started to buck. And then she let out a loud whinny... and strangely, the men broke out of their trance... for a few seconds.

Strawberry noticed this quickly. The loud whinny must have somehow interfered with the sirens' harmonious song. If she got a little closer to them and whinnied loudly enough, she might be able to break the men out of their trance long enough for them to steer the ship away. So, the pink pegasus flew closer to the sirens' rock and whinnied as loudly as she could to distract them. But she didn't stop at whinnies.

Strawberry began swooping at the sirens, making them stop singing even just for a few moments. She kept whinnying as loudly as she could, swooping at them again, and again, knocking two of them into the rough waters below, but the third one grabbed Strawberry by her tail and started to tie seaweed around her muzzle so she couldn't whinny again, bit before the siren could sing again, Strawberry had the idea to cover the siren's mouth with her wing, only for the creature to begin choking on a feather that fell off her wing.

"I've heard of getting a tickle in your throat, but that's a new one." Strawberry remarked, muffled by the seaweed around her mouth.

And it worked, because Mace immediately shouted, "Rock!", prompting Rampart to quickly turn the wheel.... Unfortunately, the boat didn't turn quickly enough, and the ship hit the rock, causing it to sink anyway.

Everyone had no choice but to abandon ship. Luckily, there were some life rafts on board, but unluckily the sailors all figured every man for himself... and they left the minotaur and the pegasus with nothing but a big slab of wood to keep them above the water as the rest of the ship sank.

"Great." Mace said sarcastically. "If it's not monsters, it's men's cowardice."

"Mmm-hmm." Strawberry nodded, still unable to speak with her muzzled tied shut.

"Oh! Let me get that for you." Mace untied the seaweed from Strawberry's muzzle, to the mare's relief. Then he saw not everything from the ship sank. "Strawberry, think you can fly out and see what you can salvage?"

"My wings are up and ready." Strawberry said.

Not a ton of stuff was salvageable, and a lot of stuff sank unless it somehow got stuck to a piece of wood, but Strawberry was able to find some critical tools: A first aid kit, some food, a couple of emergency life vests and life preservers, some rope, and extra pieces of wood.

With a little effort, Mace and Strawberry made their raft a little more buoyantly balanced with some of the extra wood and created some makeshift paddles to begin rowing the rest of the way. Fortunately for them, the clouds had cleared.

"Too bad I lost the map." Mace said.

"Look. Stars." Strawberry gasped. "We can navigate by those. Do you remember where the map said to go after Rock n' Sink Rock?"

Mace thought, and he remembered. He took a look at the stars' position, and guided Strawberry where to paddle so they could continue their journey to Fade Away Island.

"I wonder why they call it Fade Away Island." Strawberry thought out loud.

"Probably because those who do make it, their life fades away slowly as they get closer to saving the princess."

Strawberry couldn't help feeling sorry for Princess Brenda; she didn't even know her, but being stuck in a tower all alone for who-knows-how-long, that had to be awful. Staying in one place, waiting to be rescued, only for many knights to die in the process of trying to save her. And now, assuming Mace was successful, it was probably worse that she was going to be forced to marry Lord Palpatine, who was very old and very evil too. Was this really right? There had to be a better way to stop Palpatine.

Strawberry couldn't help worrying. Palpating already banished all the Magics from Naboo. So, where would they go after they left Mount Gaia? They couldn't go back to their old homes, that she knew all too well. And if Palpatine became a king after marrying Princess Brenda, would anyone be safe? She could already imagine disaster everywhere! But she couldn't turn back now. Mace just lost his home to Palpatine, and she needed to earn his trust. Getting Princess Brenda out from that tower, currently, was the only way to do that.

The minotaur and the pegasus continued to paddle for days, sleeping in shifts day and night as they continued across the sea... until one night as Strawberry was rowing and Mace was sleeping again, she noticed a creepy fog filling the area as the raft suddenly jerked to a stop, waking up Mace and startling Strawberry.

"Land ho!" Strawberry exclaimed.

Mace stretched out with a yawn. He got up and looked at the island. It was covered with a lot of green plants. It appeared now the two rescuers would have to venture through a rainforest to get to the dragon's keep.

"Well, at least this time we're on land." Mace said.

"Now I'm starting to wish I'd found bug spray among the wreckage." Strawberry said, swatting a mosquito with her tail. "I hate mosquitoes."

"The sooner we find that princess, the sooner we can get out of here... if we can find one."